The museum offers research opportunities for theses focusing both on the archaeological material and the naturalistic aspects of the reserve. The museum is preparing to host internships and placements, thus supporting the practical education of students. Theses written by students at the museum are available for consultation.
1881 – 1885
The first phase of research on the Manerba area was between 1881 and 1885, when the lawyer Giovan Battista Marchesini excavated a Roman necropolis on land he owned at the foot of the Rocca. Many of his finds are now on display at the museum, thanks to the donation by the Cirilli family, heirs to the collection.
1971
Systematic research began only in 1971, after a trench dug for the new aqueduct— which carries water from the lake to a reservoir built at the northern end of the churchyard — revealed a stratification on the upper slope dating from the Neolithic to the medieval age.
1971 – 1976
From 1971 to 1976, the Val Tenesi Historical Archaeological Association carried out regular studies to assess the potential of the Rocca’s summit, of which only the defensive walls were visible above ground.
1979
In 1979 Gian Pietro Brogiolo (University of Padua) and Martin Carver (University of Birmingham) highlighted a Roman – Medieval sequence of great interest near the church. Between 1976 and 1994, the Val Tenesi Historical Archaeological Association and the University of Birmingham (Professor Lawrence Barfield) excavated the well-known Riparo Valtènesi site.
1981
In 1981 Sara Bazalgette (University of Birmingham) carried out three further exploratory digs, leading to the hypothesis of a fourth wall in the centre of the western side of the fortress.
1990s
Systematic research resumed only in the late 1990s, in collaboration between the Universities of Padua and Birmingham. The goal was to excavate large areas of the summit to eventually showcase the structures as part of the Rocca Archaeological-Naturalistic Park project, funded by the Municipality of Manerba del Garda and the Lombardy Region.
During four excavation campaigns (1995, 1997, 1998, 1999), the entire summit of the Rocca (first and second walls) was investigated, uncovering both the rooms attached from the inside to the third wall and the stratigraphy in the churchyard north of San Nicolò.
2000s
A third phase of research, promoted by the Archaeological Superintendency during building works, focused on the Roman settlement halfway up the slope near the lake.
In 2001, between the villa and the necropolis, the remains of two small buildings dating to the 1st century were excavated.
In 2009, research resumed with two excavation interventions on the summit of the Rocca and a comprehensive survey of the five historic centers of Manerba (Solarolo, Montinelle, Gardoncino, Balbiana, and Pieve).
In recent years, thanks to a three-year funding from the municipal administration, the Historical-Archaeological Association of the Riviera (ASAR) has carried out a comprehensive analysis of the Manerba del Garda territory, its buildings, and historical archives, aimed at a diachronic study of the town. This activity has led to the publication of three monographic volumes and the production of numerous scientific reports and multimedia content dedicated to the history of the area. Some of these research results are periodically published in this section.
